Amusement apparatus.



P. W. PIERCE.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1913.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"H45 NORRIS PETERS (70.. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINCTOAL D. c.

I I. w. PIERCE. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIUAIION FILED JUNE 24, 1913.

' 1,1 15,017. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co., PHOTO-LITh 1 WASHINGTON, D. c,

F. W. PIERCE.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 24, 1913.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Iliad THE NORRIS PETERS co., PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D, C.

P. w. PIERCE. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1913- Patented 0013.27, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHU'm-LITH FRANK W. PIERCE, CIF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

Application filed June 24, 1913. Serial No. 775,575.

'1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK 1V. PIERCE, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Amusement Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to amusement apparatus and an object of the same is to provide a construction in which a screen, on which a projection apparatus throws its pictures, may be viewed through eye pieces, thereby making it possible to place the projection apparatus in a large room or store and render the pictures thereof viewable only to those who have paid the required fee or are otherwise entitled to watch the pictures.

Another object of the invention is to use a coin controlled mechanism in connection with such apparatus to control the view openings, such mechanism preferably being rendered inoperative during the exhibition of the pictures. I

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described. the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a plan of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side of the inclosure of the apparatus in which a greater number of view openings are provided than are shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the manner of controlling the shutter from a common point; Fig. at is an enlarged view of the coin controlled shutters and one of the view openings; Fig. 5 is a section on the line a-a Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section on the line bb, Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the shutter open; Fig. 8 is a section on the line cc, Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged View of the casing in proximity to the view opening.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there is provided a screen 1 on which the pictures are projected by a projection apparatus indicated at 2. The screen is preferably inclosed within a compartment or chamber which may have a booth 12 at one end to inclose the projection apparatus. This chamber has two opposite vertical side walls 3 preferably arranged in converging relation, the nearest portions being arranged near the projection apparatus and their 'most widely separated portions being arranged adjacent to the screen. Both or either one of these walls of the casing may be provided with one or more hooded view openings 4 which are preferably formed in metal members or plates 5 secured in openings within the side walls 3.

Arranged in optical relation to the view openings 4:, so that one, looking through the view openings, may view pictures exhibited on the screen 1, are reflectors, in this instance, in the form of mirrors 6, preferably pivoted to the inner faces of the plates 5 and, to this end, having their frames formed with integral lugs 6 carrying bolts7 which may be fitted within open bearings 8 formed in the ends of lugs 9 which project from the inner faces of the plates 5, two of said lugs being arranged on opposite sides of each View opening, one in a higher plane than the other, so that the mirror may be arranged on either side of the opening in order that the plate 5 may be used on either side of the inclosure for the screen. The angles of the mirrors 6 may be varied in order that the proper optical relation between the view openings and the screen may be obtained.

It is desirable to use shutters 10 in conneotion with the view openings 1. In this instance, these shutters are in the form of single blades each pivoted at 11 to the inner face of a plate 5 and adapted to open and close the view openings 4. Combined with said shutters and common to a plurality of them, that is, all those on one side of the casing, is a combined shutter opening and locking mechanism, two of said mechanisms being provided, one for each side of the inclosure. and both being controlled from the booth 12 in which the projection apparatus is arranged. This mechanism embodies a plurality of slides or members 13, each guided atla upon one of the plates 5 and connected to the adjacent slides 13 by rods or connections 15, each rod carrying two nuts 16 at each end and being engaged between the nuts by recessed lugs 17 on the ends of the slides 13. Theslide 13 nearest the booth 12 has a hand piece or operating.

positions or shift them to open positions,

the shutters are provided with extensions 18 which are engaged on their upper surfaces by one of the projections 17 of the slides 13, thus holding the shutters closed, or on their under surfaces by the projections 17, thus shifting the shutters 10 to open positions.

In order to determine whether each shutter shall be shifted to an open position or held in a closedposition, a i'nechanism preferably coin controlled is employed. This may embody a coin chute 19 formed from sheet metal and secured to the rear face of each plate 5, said plate having a coin slot therein. above the view opening and the chute 19 leading downwardly from said slot to a pocket 21 which is formed or carried by the shutter 10, the pocket having an inclined bottom and opening at one side in order to permit the discharge of the coin therefroininto a receptacle 22 when the shutter 10 has been moved to the position shown in Fig. 7, the coin being held in the pocket by a stop 23 curved to conform to the path of movement of the shutter, its lower end being above the lowermost point of movement of said shutter. When a coin drops through the chute 19 into the pocket 21, the shutter 10, which is counterbalanced by a weight 24 shifts slightly to cause the outer end of the extension 18 to move slightly above the projection 17 so that, when the slide 13 is shifted to the right, the projection 17 will engage below the arm 18 and complete the movement of the shutter to open position, at the same time, permitting the pocket 21 to discharge the coin into the receptacle 22.

lVith the purpose in view of throwing out slugs made of iron, a magnet 25, arranged on the rear of each chute 19, has its ends disposed over an opening 26 formed in the chute, said opening being of a size to permit the passage therethrough of a coin. Lead slugs will weigh heavier than the coins and will therefore open the shutter 10 to such a distance that such slugs will be discharged into the receptacle 22 before the bar 13 is shifted and the shutter will return to clos d position under the weight 24 which is so adjusted onthe arm 27 that only the desired coin will open the shutter 10 sufliciently to permit the projection 17 to engage beneath the shutter arm 18. When the slide 13 is shifted at the completion of an exhibition,

each shutter 10 closes under the action of its weight 241 and also the action of the spring arm 28. cooperating with the weight 24:.

It is also desirable to provide some'means for closing each coin slot 20 so that it will closed by the members 29.

through an opening in the side of the chute in order that such arm may close the coin slot. This closure member is preferably shifted in opposite directions through the medium of the slide 13 and, to this end, the slide is provided-with projections 31 and 32 on its rear face, the projection 31 engaging each shutter 10 closes under the action of its pivot 30 and the projection 32 engaging the closure member 29 on the other side and below its pivot 30.

In the operation of the invention, the projection apparatus which may be the socalled moving picture machine projects images on the screen 1 and-persons desiring to view such pictures deposit their coins in the slots 20, each person standing in front of one of the view openings a. Upon the deposit of a coin, the latter drops within the pocket 21, shifting the shutter 10 slightly and positioning the shutter so that it may be opened when the slides 13 are moved simultaneously by the operator of the picture machine, at the commencement of an exhibition, the operator having shifted the slides 13 to the left at the completion of the pre vious exhibition in order that the closure members 29 would be opened and the shutters 1O closed under the action of their weights 24-.. Immediately before the exhibition starts, the operator shifts the slides 13 to the right. All shutters which have not had a coin deposited in their pockets 21 will now be locked in closed positions by the projections 17 on the slides, and the coin slots 20 of all shutters or view openings will be Those shutters which have received coins in their pockets 21 will be engaged by the projections 17 and shifted and held in open positions, permitting the pictures to be viewed through their opening 4, the reflector 6 collecting the pictures for the view opening.

This apparatus has been designed for the purpose of providing short exhibition for one cent, or other small sum, so that the viewer is compelled to pay only for the amount of'pictures which come within his vision. The successive pictures will be different and preferably be for a short time only so that if each exhibition costs one cent and the viewer takes in three exhibitions, the cost thereof would only be three cents; whereas, in a moving picture show where an an admission fee of five cents is charged,

said pictures would cost the full amount.

and illustrated as embodying a screen and a moving picture machine, it will be apparent that it is within the scope of the invention to dispense with the moving picture machine and to substitute for the screen any upright object which it is desired to view.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with an upright object to be viewed, an inclosure for said object having two upright walls which diverge toward said object and each of which has a plurality of view openings arranged at different distances from said object, and reflectors, one for each view opening, arranged at an angle to said wall and adapted to establish optical relation between one of the view openings and the object to be viewed.

2. In combination with an upright object to be viewed, an inclosure for said object having two upright walls which diverge toward said object and each of which has a plurality of view openings arranged at diflerent distances from said object, and reflectors, one for each View opening, arranged at an angle to said wall and adapted to establish optical relation between one of the view openings and the object to be viewed, said reflectors each being pivoted to the inner faces of one of said walls so as to be adjusted relatively to the other reflectors for obtaining the proper optical relation with the object to be viewed.

3. In combination with an upright object to be viewed, an inclosure for said object having two upright walls which diverge toward said object and each of which has a plurality of view openings arranged at different distances from said object, and reflectors, one for each view opening arranged at an angle to said wall and adapted to establish optical relation between one of the view openings and the object to be viewed, shutters for said openings, means for controlling the shutters from one end of each wall, and means for controlling the shutters from a point adj acent to each view openin 4. In combination with an upright screen, an inclosing casing for said screen having two upright walls which diverge toward the screen and each of which has a plurality of view openings arranged at diii'erent distances from the screen, reflectors, one for each view opening, arranged at an angle to one of said walls and adapted to establish optical relation between one of said openings and the screen, and a projection apparatus arranged at a point between the diverging walls to project images on the screen.

5. In combination with an upright screen, an inclosure for said screen having two upright walls which diverge toward the screen and each of which has a plurality or". view openings arranged at difi erent distances from the screen, reflectors, one for each view opening, arran ed at an angle to one of said walls and adapted to establish optical relation between one of said openings and the screen, a projection apparatus arranged at a point between the diverging walls to project images on the screen, shutters, one for each view opening, means for controlling the shutters from a point adjacent the projection apparatus, and means for individually controlling the shutters from a point adjacent each view opening.

6. The combination with a vertically arranged screen and a projection apparatus for projecting pictures on the screen, i an inclosure for the screen having an opening therein, and a reflector arranged to render the pictures on the screen viewable through the opening.

7 The combination with a vertically arranged screen and a projection apparatus for projecting pictures onthe screen, of an inclosure for the screen embodying two walls converging from the screen, each having a plurality of view openings therein, and reflectors for establishing optical relations between said openings and the screen.

8. The combination with a vertically arranged screen, a projection apparatus for projecting pictures on the screen, and an inclosure for the screen having a plurality of view openings, of shutters for the view openings, mechanism for opening the shutters, and mechanism for determining which shutters are to be opened by said opening mechanism.

9. The combination with a vertically arranged screen and a projection apparatus for projecting pictures on the screen, of an inclosure for the screen having a wall provided with a plurality of view openings, shutters for the openings, mechanisms, one for each shutter for determining which of the shutters are to be operated, and mechanism operable from a point adjacent the projection apparatus for opening those shutters which it is determined are to be operated.

10. The combination with a vertically arranged screen and a projection apparatus for projecting pictures on the screen, of an inclosure for the projection apparatus having a plurality of plates inserted in one of its walls, each plate being provided with a view opening, a shutter mounted on such plate to close the view opening, mechanism for determining the position of each shutter, a member mounted on the plate to move the shutter to open position, connections between such members, and an operat- 0 member adjacent to the projection apin pa ratus for shifting all of such members.

I View openings, shutters for the View openlngs, normally closing the latter, mechanism for opening the shutters or locking them against movement, said mechanism being common to all of the shutters, and controlling mechanisms one for each shutter, said mechanisms determining Whether the opening and locking mechanism shall open or shall lock the shutters.

FRANK l/V. PIERCE.

lVitnesses:

HAROLD H. SIMMS, FRANCES JAoUBoWrrz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

